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Mithras
Mithras is the Ancient Ancestor of the common soldier. Many prayers to Mithras are whispered on the eve of battle, asking for victory so they may return home to their loved ones. Considered Ancient even during the time of the Empire, his faith was spread widely both within the Empire and Beyond its boundary Symbolism Mithras generally has two types of followers, i) Common soldiers who pray for victory and to return to their loved ones as they are marched to war. ii) Those who have fully devoted their lives to Mithraism and it's ideals. There are many various Cults/Sects/Orders that follow the Mithras in Erdreja. The symbols used by these various groups do differ considerably and no set image is officially representative of Mithras. Two of the most famous are the Order of Mithras and the Order of the One. The Order of Mithras stride into battle under a flag which is white, emblazoned by a bold red cross and in its center is a black and white sunburst containing the image of a blade buried in a bulls head. The Order of the One however serve under a black flag with its central emblem of an eye pierced by a blade. Both Orders are recognized as devotees of Mithras but very different in appearance and attitude. The general information known to the Incantors guild tends to be centered around 'the slaying of the bull' a story told by the Children of Malar (the brother of Mithras). Long ago when the world was young, Mithras was a mortal man, but his 'slaying of the Bull' is the act that many believe was the catalyst of his ascension to the Ancestral plane. Those ancient Ancestors whose names have long since been forgotten were like the Ancestors of today each representing it's core values to it's followers, from kindness and bravery to greed and violence, and all of the things in between. It is known that a wrathful Ancestor sent an avatar in the form of a mighty Bull to destroy the village inhabited by Mithras and his people. The Bull killed many of the villagers under mighty hooves or spear-sharp horns. The Bull slaughtered any who tried to leave the confines of the village. Despair took hold as the Bull held ground beyond the village boundaries, as days turned into weeks starvation and disease began to take its toll on the survivors. No aid came from neighbouring villages and prayers went unanswered. As the population withered to but a handful and all hope seemed lost, a young man named Mithras devised a plan to distract the beast long enough to allow the remaining survivors to escape. His life would be sacrificed to save his people. Mithras led the Bull away to a nearby cave, where he hoped that the space within would prevent the Bull from using its vicious weapons. The Bull ran when it felt the man land on its huge back, bucking wildly then galloping across the fields. Mithras had dropped his dagger when the beast bolted, so with no weapon to use he clamped his arms around the Bulls neck and hung on until eventually the beast tired and was overcome by exhaustion. Once the Bull was overcome Mithras carried it back to the cave where his blade still lay. The young man climbed upon the Bull's shoulders thrusting the dagger into its neck, killing the avatar. That day he ate of his Ancestral kill, its flesh filled him with strength and power that never faded. As time progressed Mithras the soldier, imbued with ancestral strength rose through the military ranks eventually becoming a general of legions. Ancestral Crusades First Crusade It isn't known what fate lead to Mithras moving to the ancestral plane, but when he did arrive he was not alone, Mithras arrived with an army of the greatest soldiers that he had ever commanded. His first 'ancestral' crusade was to march against the Ancestor that was responsible for the deaths of his loved ones so many years before, the wrathful ancestor which sent the Bull avatar to destroy his people. Facing an overwhelming force Mithras should have died and his men slaughtered. But fate decreed that the tenets Mithras always followed; Battle, Order and Sacrifice would win the day. Mithras's army cleaved victory after bloody victory until nothing was left of his enemies forces except for the Ancestor himself. The ancestral plane trembled as the two Ancestors battled, Mithras's strength, his prize from defeating the mighty Bull so many years before was now used to destroy the being that sent it. Justice was exacted for his dead family and his fallen people. From this we learn that time does not heal all wounds, for some Retribution is the only true salve for this. As time passed, Mithras assimilated the domains of the fallen Ancestor. Evolving them into the tenets he represents today, Battle, Order, Sacrifice and Retribution.